CVT target engine speed control with proportional power output governor

ABSTRACT

A machine may include an engine, a traction device, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) connecting the engine to the traction device, an operator input device outputting engine output command signals input by an operator, an engine speed sensor monitoring an engine output speed, and an electronic control module (ECM). The ECM may control the engine to a target engine speed using engine speed sensor signals as feedback. A desired percentage of peak power of the engine may be determined from the engine output command signals, and the target engine speed may be determined from the desired percentage of the peak power. The ECM determines a CVT transmission ratio that will cause the CVT to apply a load to the engine that will cause the engine to run at the target engine speed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to speed control in vehicles and machines, and more particularly, to controlling an engine speed and a transmission ratio in a vehicle or machine having a continuously variable transmission by comparing an actual engine speed to a target engine speed, and mapping a commanded engine output to the target engine speed that may optimize fuel efficiency while operating the vehicle or machine.

BACKGROUND

Transmission systems may be used to couple the output of a prime mover or power source, for example, an internal combustion engine, to a driven element or device such as wheels or a work implement on a work machine. Transmissions are typically part of a power train that transmits power that may be in the form of torque and/or rotational speed from the power source to the driven element. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) provides an infinite or continuous range of torque-to-speed output ratios with respect to any given input from the power source. In other words, the output of the CVT can be increased or decreased across a continuous range in infinitesimally small increments.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,216,109 issued on Jul. 10, 2012, to Dahl et al. entitled “Torque-Based Control System for a Continuously Variable Transmission” discloses a method of managing the operation of a machine having an operator station with one or more operator interface devices, one or more traction devices and a power train operatively connected to drive at least one of the traction devices. The operator interface devices may include devices for initiating movement of the machine by transmitting signals to a control module. The power train includes a power source, such as an engine, and a transmission unit connected to receive the power output from the power source and transmit the power output to the traction devices. The control module regulates the operation of the transmission unit in response to one or more inputs from the operator interface devices. A first sensor associated with the power source senses an output speed thereof, and a second sensor associated with the transmission unit and/or the traction device senses a travel speed of the machine. The transmission unit may embody a continuously variable transmission. The control module uses information provided by the sensors to control an output torque of the transmission unit that is determined in response to multiple inputs by an operator at the operator interface devices.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a machine for operating at a work site and traveling over a work surface of the work site is disclosed. The machine may include an engine, a traction device, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connected between the engine and the traction device to transfer power output by the engine to the traction device, an operator input device in an operator station of the machine for detecting engine output commands that are input by an operator of the machine and outputting engine output command signals corresponding to the engine output commands input by the operator at the operator input device, an engine speed sensor automatically monitoring an engine output speed of the engine and outputting engine speed sensor signals corresponding to the engine output speed of the engine, and an electronic control module (ECM) operatively connected to the engine, the CVT, the operator input device and the engine speed sensor. The ECM is programmed to receive the engine output command signals from the operator input device, determine a desired percentage of a peak power of the engine based on the engine output command signals, and determine a transmission control target engine speed based on the desired percentage of the peak power. The ECM is further programmed to determine a transmission ratio for the CVT based on the transmission control target engine speed to cause the engine to operate at the transmission control target engine speed, and transmit transmission command signals to the CVT to control the CVT so that a transmission output speed divided by a transmission input speed is equal to the transmission ratio determined based on the transmission control target engine speed.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an engine output speed of an engine of a machine to be approximately equal to a target engine speed is disclosed. The machine includes a traction device and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connected between the engine and the traction device to transfer power output by the engine to the traction device to propel the machine over a work surface of a work site. The method may include receiving engine output command signals from an operator of the machine indicating a machine function commanded by the operator, determining a desired percentage of a peak power of the engine based on the engine output command signals, determining a transmission control target engine speed based on the desired percentage of the peak power, determining a transmission ratio for the CVT based on the transmission control target engine speed to cause the engine to operate at the target engine speed, and transmitting transmission command signals to the CVT to control the CVT so that a transmission output speed divided by a transmission input speed is equal to the transmission ratio determined based on the transmission control target engine speed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary vehicle or machine that can travel over a work surface;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of mechanical, electrical and control components of a power train of the vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a graph of power versus engine speed with an exemplary lug curve for an engine of the vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is the power versus engine speed graph of FIG. 3 with additional lines indicating an engine response with a proportional power output governor;

FIG. 3B is the power versus engine speed graph of FIG. 3 with additional lines indicating an engine response with a proportional speed output governor;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a target engine speed CVT transmission control routine in accordance with the present disclosure that may be executed by an electronic control module of the vehicle of FIG. 1

FIG. 5 is a graph of engine throttle displacement versus desired engine power for the engine of the vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is the power versus engine speed graph of FIG. 3A with an optimized fuel efficiency curve superimposed; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a determine target engine speed block of the target engine speed CVT transmission control routine of FIG. 4 for optimized fuel efficiency with a desired percentage of peak power engine governor in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary vehicle or machine 10 in the form of a large wheel loader that may traverse a work surface at a work site. While a wheel loader is shown, the CVT target engine speed control strategy discussed herein may be implemented in any other appropriate type of work vehicle or machine. The machine 10 includes a frame 12 supporting a machine body 14, and with the frame 12 being supported above the work surface by traction devices 16. As illustrated, the traction devices 16 include a plurality of wheels 16, but the traction devices 16 could be any other appropriate devices such as an undercarriage with tracks, halftracks, or combinations of tracks, wheels or other traction devices.

The machine 10 is driven by a power train including an engine 18 operatively connected to a CVT 20 that in turn is operatively connected to the wheels 16. The CVT 20 transfers power generated by the engine 18 to the wheels 16 to rotate the wheels 16 and propel the machine 10 over the work surface. The CVT 20 may be any automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of effective gear ratios. For example, the CVT 20 may be a hydrostatic CVT having a variable displacement pump pumping hydraulic fluid to either a constant displacement or variable displacement hydraulic motor, with the variable displacement pump having a swash plate that is adjusted to vary the flow through the pump and, correspondingly, the gear ratio of the CVT 20 and the load on the engine 18. Alternatively, the CVT 20 could be a variable diameter pulley CVT, a toroidal CVT, a cone CVT or the like providing continuous adjustment through a range of gear ratios.

An operator can control the movement of the machine 10 along with other operations of the machine 10 at an operator station 22. The controlled operations can include speed control, steering, load dumping, actuation of implements of the machine 10, and the like. The operator station 22 may have a plurality of operator input devices 24 for inputting commands for the engine 18, the CVT 20 and other systems of the machine 10. The operator input devices 24 can include engine throttles, brake pedals, gear shift levers, steering wheels, implement lift and articulation controls, graphical user interfaces, and the like. Sensors associated with each of the operator input devices 24 detect manipulation of the operator input devices 24 by an operator and transmit corresponding input device command signals that are received and processed by an electronic control module (ECM) 26. Particularly relevant to the present disclosure are engine output command signals transmitted from an engine throttle or the like, or a combination of operator input devices 24 that may cause the engine 18 to operate according to conventional engine control strategies, and that may be evaluated by the ECM 26 to determine a target engine speed TES for the engine 18 and a corresponding CVT transmission ratio TR that will cause the CVT 20 to apply a load to the engine 18 based on a current transmission output speed that will cause the engine 18 to run at the target engine speed TES as the machine 10 accelerates, decelerates or maintains speed as commanded by the operator.

The machine 10 also collects and records operational data relating to the operation of the machine 10 as it operates within the work site and traverses the work surface. The machine 10 may include a variety of sensors 28 operating independently or as components of other control and monitoring systems to automatically monitor various operational data during travel of the machine 10 over the work surface and the performance of machine operations within the work site. The sensors 28 monitoring the operational data may include speed sensors detecting machine, engine and transmission speeds, and torque sensors sensing torque at various points along the power train and/or rolling resistance of the wheels 16. The sensors 28 may also include payload weight sensors detecting the weight of a load carried by the machine 10, pressure sensors for suspension cylinder and lift cylinder pressures, and the like. The operational data monitored by the sensors 28 may also include road parameters such as, for example, the grade of the road over which the machine 10 is traveling measured by inertial measuring units (IMUs), accelerometers or inclinometers, and the location coordinates and elevation of the machine 10 at a given time as detected by global positioning system (GPS) receivers. Some operational data may be monitored directly, while other data may be derived or calculated from the monitored parameters.

The operator input devices 24, the ECM 26 and the sensors 28 are components of a machine control system for the machine 10. Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary arrangement of mechanical, electrical and control components of the power train of the machine 10 is shown with the various control components integrated into the power train control system. The engine 18 may be configured to receive the engine output commands from the operator input devices 24 and operate with the commanded engine output CEO in response. The engine 18 may be conventional and may include a mechanical governor, an electronic governor implemented in software, or other appropriate conventional engine output control mechanism and control strategy. The engine 18 further includes an engine output shaft 30 operatively connected at an input end of the CVT 20. The engine output shaft 30 may be directly connected to the CVT 20, or connected through an intermediate power transfer device such as a clutch, and torque converter or the like.

The CVT 20 may include a CVT actuator 32 that operates to set or control the CVT 20 to achieve a desired ratio of a transmission output speed TOS to a transmission input speed TIS and to create a desired load on the engine 18 through the engine output shaft 30. The configuration of the CVT actuator 32 may vary based on the particular type of CVT 20 implemented in the machine 10. For a hydrostatic CVT, the CVT actuator 32 may operate to rotate the swash plate of the variable displacement pump and/or a variable displacement motor. The hydrostatic CVT actuator 32 may be actuated by the ECM 26 by varying current transmitted to flow control valves of the CVT actuator 32 to move a piston or other component operatively coupled to the swash plate to rotate the swash plate. Variable pulley actuators may control the spacing of sheaves of pulleys in a variable diameter pulley CVT to vary the gear ratio. The ECM 26 may similarly vary current or other appropriate control signals to actuate the CVT actuator 32 and vary the spacing of the sheaves. In alternative embodiments, the CVT actuator 32 may include a CVT actuator controller, and the ECM 26 may transmit appropriate control signals that are interpreted by the CVT actuator controller that in turn will cause the CVT actuator 32 to actuate and adjust the CVT 20. At the output end of the CVT 20, a transmission output shaft 34 may extend and be operatively connected to the wheels 16. Similar to the engine output shaft 30, the transmission output shaft 34 may have intermediate components such as clutches, differentials and the like for transferring the power output from the CVT 20 to the wheels 16.

The ECM 26 may be capable of processing the information received from the operator input devices 24 and the sensors 28 using software stored at the ECM 26, and outputting command and control signals to the engine 18 and the CVT actuator 32, and information to displays (not shown) in the operator station 22. The ECM 26 may include a processor 36 for executing a specified program, which controls and monitors various functions associated with the machine 10. The processor 36 may be operatively connected to a memory 38 that may have a read only memory (ROM) 40 for storing programs, and a random access memory (RAM) 42 serving as a working memory area for use in executing a program stored in the ROM 40. Although the processor 36 is shown, it is also possible and contemplated to use other electronic components such as a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip, or any other integrated circuit device. While the discussion provided herein relates to the functionality of a power train control system, the ECM 26 may be configured to control other aspects of the operation of the machine 10 such as, for example, steering, dumping loads of material, actuating implements and the like. Moreover, the ECM 26 may refer collectively to multiple control and processing devices across which the functionality of the power train control system and other systems of the machine 10 may be distributed. For example, the operator station 22, the engine 18 and the CVT actuator 32 may each have ECMs that communicate with the main ECM 26. Such variations in consolidating and distributing the processing of the ECM 26 as described herein are contemplated as having use in engine speed control in accordance with the present disclosure.

The operator input devices 24 are operatively connected to the ECM 26 for two-way communications. The operator input devices 24 transmit requests from the operator generated in response to the operator manipulating the controls in the operation station 22, and in particular engine commands indicating an engine speed or engine power output requested by the operator. The ECM 26 transmits information to be provided to the operator at output devices (not shown) in the operator station 22. The output devices may be any devices capable of providing a sensory perceptible output to the operator, such as visual display devices, lamps, speakers, and the like. The information communicated to the operator may include an engine speed, a machine speed, a bucket position, a load weight, a fuel level, an operational mode indication, and the like.

The sensors 28 may encompass a variety of sensors that are configured to collect operational data for the machine 10 and transmit sensor signals to the ECM 26 that correspond to the measured values of the operational data. In particular, the sensors 28 discussed herein may collect operational data that is useful in controlling the speed of the engine 18 as the machine 10 travels through the work site. For example, the sensors 28 may include an engine speed sensor 44 and an engine torque sensor 46 operatively coupled to the engine output shaft 30. The engine speed sensor 44 detects the rotational speed of the engine output shaft 30, which corresponds to an engine output speed EOS of the engine 18. The engine torque sensor 46 detects a magnitude of an engine output torque EOT created by the engine output shaft 30 and transmitted to the CVT 20. Similarly, a transmission speed sensor 48 and a transmission torque sensor 50 are operatively coupled to the transmission output shaft 34. The transmission speed sensor 48 detects a transmission output speed TOS of the transmission output shaft 34, and the transmission torque sensor 50 detects a magnitude of a transmission output torque TOT created by the transmission output shaft 34 and transmitted to the wheels 16. The engine speed sensor 44 and the transmission speed sensor 48 transmit engine speed sensor signals and transmission speed sensor signals, respectively, to the ECM 26 having values corresponding to the engine output speed EOS and the transmission output speed TOS, while the engine torque sensor 46 and the transmission torque sensor 50 transmit engine torque sensor signals and transmission torque sensor signals, respectively, to the ECM 26 having values corresponding to the engine output torque EOT and the transmission output torque TOT.

The performance of the engine 18 may be illustrated graphically in FIG. 3. A graph 60 of the power versus the engine speed of the engine 18 has a lug curve 62 representing the operation of the engine 18 at a constant throttle amount. For example, the lug curve 62 may represent the 100% throttle engine response. The engine 18 will have a maximum or high idle engine speed at a point 64 where no load is applied to the engine output shaft 30. A maximum power output of the engine 18 at 100% throttle is indicated by a peak power point 66 on the lug curve 62. As a load on the engine output shaft 30 is increased, the steady state operating point of the engine 18 will move upward and to the left on the lug curve 62 decreasing the engine output speed from its current operating point. As the load on the engine output shaft 30 is decreased, the steady state operating point of the engine 18 will move downward and to the right on the lug curve 62 increasing the engine output speed from its current operating point.

The response of the engine to the commanded power output input by the operator at the engine throttle or other operator input device 24 may be dependent on the type of engine governor software programmed into the ECM 26. For example, FIG. 3A illustrates the response of a proportional power output governor configured to cause the engine 18 to output a percentage of the peak power of the engine 18 that is approximately proportional to the displacement of the engine throttle or other input as indicated by the commanded engine output CEO. The dashed lines in FIG. 3A indicate various desired percentage of peak power (DPOPP) levels that can be produced in response to the input from the operator. The more the engine throttle is displaced, the greater the percentage of the peak power of the engine 19 that is output and the closer the engine response will come to the 100% throttle engine response of the lug curve 62. The response provided by the proportional power output governor may be discrete, such as in the increments illustrated by the dashed lines in FIG. 3A, or may be continuously variable as the commanded engine output is varied between a zero throttle displacement position and the 100% throttle displacement position.

As an alternative, FIG. 3B illustrates the response of a proportional speed output governor configured to cause the engine 18 to have a no load high idle speed response that is approximately proportional to the engine throttle displacement. The dashed lines in FIG. 3B indicate various desired percentages of no load high idle speed levels that can be produced in response to the input from the operator. The greater the displacement of the engine throttle, the higher the percentage of the maximum high idle engine speed at the point 64 that will be produced by the engine 18. Other engine governor software strategies for mapping engine output to engine throttle displacements may be implemented and are contemplated as having use in CVT target engine speed control in accordance with the present disclosure.

The ECM 26 is operatively connected to the CVT actuator 32 to control the load applied by the CVT 20 on the engine 18, and correspondingly the engine output speed EOS, in response to the engine output command signals from the operator input devices 24. The operator will indicate a desire to increase, decrease or maintain a power output or output speed of the engine 18 by manipulating the appropriate operator input device(s) 24 in the operator station 22. Appropriate sensors associated with the operator input device(s) 24 sense the manipulation of the operator input device(s) 24 and transmit the engine output command signals with values corresponding to the manipulation of the operator input device(s) 24. The ECM 26 receives the engine output command signals and determines the target engine speed TES and the corresponding transmission ratio TR based on the commanded engine output CEO.

The ECM 26 may use the engine output commands along with other operator inputs and/or operational data from the sensors 28 to determine the target engine speed TES and the corresponding transmission ratio TR. The transmission control software determines the transmission ratio TR for the CVT 20 needed to apply a load on the engine 18 so that the engine 18 will run at the target engine speed TES. The target engine speed TES may be determined in any appropriate manner based on the engine operating requirements for a particular implementation. In one embodiment, the target engine speed TES may be a predetermined engine speed stored at the ECM 26. The target engine speed may be fixed for the machine 10, or may be updatable via any appropriate mechanism such as operator input at one of the operator input devices 24. In alternative embodiments, the value of the target engine speed TES may be mapped to one or more operator inputs. For example, the target engine speed TES may be determined as a function of the desired engine output from the operator input at the engine throttle and indicated by engine throttle commands in the engine output commands from the operator input devices 24. The target engine speed TES may be proportional to the value of the engine throttle command so that the target engine speed TES has a maximum value at the 100% throttle position and decreases as the displacement of the engine throttle decreases. The value of the target engine speed TES may be similarly affected by additional or alternative operator inputs as necessary.

The transmission ratio TR may be determined using the target engine speed TES determined by the ECM 26 along with a current machine speed CMS of the machine 10. In the target engine speed control strategy in accordance with the present disclosure, the transmission ratio TR may be manipulated to create a load on the engine 18 at the current machine speed CMS that will force the engine 18 to operate at the target engine speed TES. As discussed above, the transmission ratio is equal to the transmission output speed TOS divided by the transmission input speed TIS. In calculating the transmission ratio TR, the transmission input speed TIS may have a value corresponding to the commanded target engine speed TES. The transmission output speed TOS may be the sensor value transmitted by the transmission speed sensor 48, or any other appropriate value reflecting the current machine speed CMS.

After determining the target engine speed TES and the transmission ration TR, the ECM 26 will cause the CVT actuator 32 to actuate by varying a control current, transmitting control signals or otherwise communicating with the CVT actuator 32. The CVT actuator 32 in response actuates to cause the CVT 20 to have the CVT ratio to create the load on the engine 18 that will force the engine output speed EOS to the target engine speed TES. This process may be repeated over time to maintain the engine output speed EOS approximately equal to the target engine speed TES in implementations where improved engine durability is achievable by operating in a narrower speed band.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram for a target engine speed CVT transmission control routine 100 that may be stored in the memory 38 and executed by the ECM 26. The routine 100 is configured so the ECM 26 can control the CVT 20 to maintain the engine output speed EOS approximately equal to the target engine speed TES over time using the engine output speed signals from the engine speed sensor 44 as feedback. In alternative implementations, the transmission output speed signals from the transmission speed sensor 48 are also used in the control strategy. The control strategy works to drive the engine 18 to the target engine speed TES by manipulating the transmission ratio TR of the CVT 20.

The routine 100 starts at a block 102 where the ECM 26 receives the engine output commands transmitted from the operator input devices 24 and determines the values of the engine output commands input by the operator to cause the machine 10 to move over the work surface. In some embodiments, the operator input devices 24 may transmit engine output commands having values equal to zero if the operator has not operated any of the operator input devices 24. In these or other embodiments, if no engine output commands are detected, the ECM 26 may interpret the absence of engine output commands as an engine output command of zero. When the engine output commands have values of or are determined to be equal to zero, the ECM 26 may maintain the engine 18 at a low idle speed if the machine 10 is not moving, or handle coasting or braking of the machine 10 if the machine 10 is moving over the work surface in the succeeding steps of the routine 100. It should be noted that the engine output commands are concurrently received by the engine 18 and the appropriate conventional engine output control mechanism and control strategy will cause the engine 18 to operate at a corresponding engine speed or engine power.

After the ECM 26 receives the engine output commands at the block 102, control may pass to a block 104 where the ECM may determine a transmission control target engine speed TES corresponding to the values in the engine output commands. The ECM 26 may determine the target engine speed TES using any appropriate method such as those described above. Subsequent to the determination of the target engine speed TES, control may pass to a block 106 where the ECM 26 may calculate the transmission ratio TR for the CVT 20 that will apply a load to the engine 18 to force the engine 18 to run at approximately the target engine speed TES determined at the block 104. The ECM 26 may determine the transmission ratio TR using any appropriate method such as those described above.

After determining the target engine speed TES and the transmission ratio TR at the blocks 104, 106, respectively, control passes to a block 108 where the ECM 26 transmits transmission command signals to the CVT actuator 32. Upon receiving the transmission command signals, the CVT actuator 32 adjusts the CVT 20 to provide the calculated transmission ratio TR between the transmission output shaft 34 and the engine output shaft 30. With the CVT 20 creating the transmission ratio TR between the shafts 30, 34, the CVT 20 creates the load on the engine 18 to force the engine 18 to the target engine speed TES. The transmission command signals may be the appropriate type of input signals for the particular CVT actuator 32 implemented in the machine 10, such as varying currents, digital control signals or other appropriate control signals such as those described above.

With the CVT actuator 32 controlling the CVT 20 per the transmission command signals from the ECM 26 to force the engine 18 toward the target engine speed TES, control may pass to a block 110 where the ECM 26 compares the desired engine speed (i.e., target engine speed TES) to the actual engine speed (i.e., engine output speed EOS). By utilizing the engine output speed EOS as the feedback signal, the engine 18 may be maintained at approximately the target engine speed TES to reduce wear on the engine 18 that can be caused by highly fluctuating engine speeds. After the comparison, control may pass to a block 112 where the ECM 26 evaluates whether the engine output speed EOS is too low. In some implementations, any variation in the engine output speed EOS from the target engine speed TES may cause corrective action to be taken to bring the engine output speed EOS back to the target engine speed TES. In other implementations, the difference may be required to be greater than a predetermined minimum engine speed error for corrective action to occur. For example, the difference between the engine output speed EOS and the target engine speed TES may be required to be greater than a specified number of revolutions per minute or a specified percentage of the target engine speed TES for corrective action to occur.

If the ECM 26 determines at the block 112 that the engine output speed EOS is less than the target engine speed TES by more than a minimum engine speed difference, control may pass to a block 114 where the ECM 26 may calculate a revised transmission ratio TR that will increase the engine output speed EOS. As shown in the graph 60 of FIG. 3, the engine speed increases as the load on the engine output shaft 30 decreases. Consequently, the ECM 26 will determine a reduced transmission ratio TR that will reduce the load on the engine output shaft 30 and allow the engine output speed EOS to increase for the same throttle setting of the engine 18. For a hydrostatic CVT, the reduced transmission ratio TR may equate to rotating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump toward a zero flow or neutral position so that the fluid displacement per revolution of the pump input shaft is reduced. For a variable diameter pulley CVT, an input pulley diameter may be decreased and an output pulley diameter correspondingly increased to increase the number of rotations of the input pulley per rotation of the output pulley. Similar adjustments will be determined by the ECM 26 for other types of CVTs 20. After the ECM 26 determines the reduced transmission ratio TR at the block 114, control may pass back to the block 108 to output updated transmission command signals to the CVT actuator 32 to adjust the transmission ratio TR of the CVT 20.

If the engine output speed EOS is not too slow at the block 112, control passes to a block 116 where the ECM 26 determines whether the engine output speed EOS is too fast. As discussed above, in various implementations, corrective action may be taken any time the engine output speed EOS is greater than the target engine speed TES to reduce the engine output speed EOS, or corrective action may be taken if the engine output speed EOS is greater than the target engine speed TES by a predetermined number of revolutions per minute or percentage above the target engine speed TES. If the ECM 26 determines that the engine output speed EOS is greater than the target engine speed TES by more than a minimum engine speed difference, control may pass to a block 118 where the ECM 26 calculates a revised transmission ratio TR that will reduce the engine output speed EOS. Per the graph 60 of FIG. 3, increasing the load on the engine output shaft 30 will reduce the engine output speed EOS. The load on the engine 18 can be increased by increasing the transmission ratio TR. In a hydrostatic CVT, the swash plate to the variable displacement pump can be rotated to increase the fluid flow through the pump. For a variable diameter pulley CVT, the input pulley diameter can be increased and the output pulley diameter can be correspondingly decreased to decrease the number of rotations of the input pulley per rotation of the output pulley. Other CVTs 20 can be adjusted as necessary to increase the transmission ratio TR. After the ECM 26 determines the increased transmission ratio TR to slow down the engine 18 to the target engine speed TES, control may pass back to the block 108 to transmit the updated transmission command signals to the CVT actuator 32.

If the ECM 26 determines that the engine output speed EOS is equal to the target engine speed TES, or differs within an acceptable range from the target engine speed TES, at the blocks 112, 116, control may pass back to the block 102 to continue receiving and evaluating the engine output commands from the operator input devices 24.

In the preceding discussion, the engine output speed EOS is impliedly the control error for the target engine speed control routine 100. Consequently, the engine output speed EOS is directly compared to the target engine speed TES to determine whether the transmission ratio TR must be updated to get the engine output speed EOS within an acceptable range about the target engine speed TES. In alternative implementations, the transmission ratio TR can be used as the control error since the transmission ratio TR is being adjusted to correct errors in the engine output speed EOS. In such implementations, the routine 100 may be adjusted to evaluate an actual transmission ratio ATR of the CVT 20 relative to a desired transmission ratio DTR to determine whether to adjust the transmission ratio TR. In the modified routine 100, the desired transmission ratio DTR may be equal to the transmission output speed TOS measured by the transmission speed sensor 48 divided by the target engine speed TES determined by the ECM 26. The actual transmission ratio ATR is equal to the transmission output speed TOS divided by the engine output speed measured by the engine speed sensor 44.

In this implementation, the routine 100 begins at the blocks 102, 104, 106, 108 as described above. At the block 110, the ECM 26 calculates and compares the desired transmission ratio DTR to the actual transmission ratio ATR instead of directly comparing the engine output speed EOS to the target engine speed TES. Control then passes to the block 112 to determine whether the actual transmission ratio ATR is greater than the desired transmission ratio DTR (i.e., the engine output speed EOS is less than the target engine speed TES, and therefore too slow). If the actual transmission ratio ATR is too high, the engine output speed EOS must be increased to reduce the actual transmission ratio ATR. Consequently, if the actual transmission ratio ATR is greater than the desired transmission ratio DTR by a predetermined minimum transmission ratio error, control passes to the block 114 for the ECM 26 to determine a reduced transmission ratio TR that will increase the engine output speed EOS and thereby reduce the actual transmission ratio ATR.

If the actual transmission ratio ATR is not greater than the desired transmission ratio DTR at the block 112, control passes to the block 116 to determine whether the actual transmission ratio ATR is less than the desired transmission ratio DTR (i.e., the engine output speed is greater than the target engine speed TES, and therefore too fast). If the actual transmission ratio ATR is too low, the engine output speed EOS must be decreased to increase the actual transmission ratio ATR. If the actual transmission ratio ATR is too low by more than the predetermined minimum transmission ratio error, control passes to the block 118 for the ECM 26 to determine an increased transmission ratio TR that will decrease the engine output speed EOS and increase the actual transmission ratio ATR.

When a CVT transmission operating under the target engine speed TES control strategy discussed above is utilized in a machine 10 configured with an engine 18 operating under the control of the proportional power output governor as discussed above in relation to FIG. 3a as opposed to the proportional speed output governor of FIG. 3B, it is possible via the transmission target engine speed control and the engine power output control to force the engine 18 to operate at a specific speed and at a specific power output, respectively. By correctly relating the target engine speed TES to the desired engine power output, the operating point of the engine 18 can be optimized for fuel efficiency.

As discussed above, the proportion power output governor converts the engine throttle displacement as indicated by the operator into a corresponding percentage of the peak power output of the engine 18. At the same time, the ECM 26 maps the engine throttle displacement, among other factors, to the target engine speed TES. When the machine 10 is initially set up, the desired operating points in terms of the combinations of engine speed and engine power may be dictated and optimized over a fuel map such as the power versus engine speed graph 60 as shown in FIG. 3. However, the optimal operating conditions for the machine 10 may change over time and operation of the machine 10. Eventually, the optimal mapping of the engine throttle displacement to the engine power output and the target engine speed TES must be changed to optimize the performance of the machine 10 under the current operating conditions. If the mapping of the engine throttle displacement to the desired percentage of peak power output is changed in the proportional power output governor, the mapping of the engine throttle displacement to the target engine speed TES must also be changed to achieve optimized fuel efficiency performance under the new operating conditions. If only one of the two mappings is changed, the optimized fuel performance may not be achieved.

This issue with dual mapping of the desired engine power output and the target engine speed TES for transmission control to the engine throttle displacement can be mitigated by mapping the desired engine power output to the operator input (throttle position) and the corresponding target engine speed TES to the desired engine power output. An exemplary mapping of the engine throttle displacement to corresponding desired engine power output is illustrated in a graph 120 of FIG. 5. A direct relationship between the changes in the engine throttle displacement and the corresponding desired engine power or percentage of the peak power of the engine 18 is indicated by a curve 122 on the graph 120. The precise relationship will vary based on the characteristics of the machine 10 and the engine 18. The relationship could be linear with a constant slope, non-linear with a varying slope as shown, or have any other appropriate shape.

After converting the engine throttle displacement into the desired percentage of peak power for the engine 18 using a relationship such as of the curve 122, the desired percentage of peak power may be converted into the target engine speed TES that may optimize the engine fuel efficiency when the engine 18 provides the desired power output. FIG. 6 illustrates the power versus engine speed graph 60 of FIG. 3A for the proportional power output governor with an optimized CVT engine operating curve 124 for the engine 18 superimposed. The curve 124 illustrates an exemplary relationship where engine output speeds are identified along the continuum of percentages of peak power that will result in optimal fuel efficiency when the engine 18 operates. The relationship may represent the most efficient fuel flow for a given engine power, or may be dictated by other performance measures or combination of measures. The point of intersection of the desired percentage of peak power obtained from the graph 120 of FIG. 5 with the optimized CVT engine operating curve 124 will indicate an optimally fuel efficient engine speed that can be used as the target engine speed TES in the target engine speed CVT transmission control routine 100.

In one embodiment, modification to the routine 100 for control of the transmission in conjunction with a proportional power output governor as described above may be integrated into the target engine speed TES determination logic performed at the block 104. Referring to FIG. 7, the processing of the block 104 may begin by receiving the engine output commands from the block 102 at a block 130 where the ECM 26 may determine the desired percentage of peak power requested by the operator. In one embodiment, the ECM 26 may receive the desired percentage of peak power command directly in the engine output commands. In alternative embodiments, the ECM 26 determines the desired percentage of peak power after receiving the engine throttle displacement and other appropriate inputs in the engine input commands. The ECM 26 may store a map of data corresponding to the graph 120 of FIG. 5 with the conversion of the engine throttle displacement to the corresponding desired percentage of peak power, and may retrieve the appropriate percentage of peak power corresponding to the received engine output commands. In alternative embodiments, where a mathematically definable relationship exists between the engine throttle displacement and the percentage of peak power, the ECM 26 may be programmed with a formula or algorithm into which the engine throttle displacement may be input to calculate the desired percentage of peak power.

With the desired percentage of peak power determined at the block 130, control may pass to a block 132 where the ECM 26 may use the desired percentage of peak power to determine the target engine speed TES. Similar to determining the commanded engine power, the ECM 26 may store a map of the data of the power versus engine speed graph 120 and the optimized CVT engine operating curve 124, or the ECM 26 may be programmed with a formula or algorithm for determining the target engine speed TES based on the desired percentage of peak power determined at the block 132. After the target engine speed TES is determined at the block 132, control may then pass to the blocks 106, 108 to determine the transmission ratio TR and actuate the CVT 20 to the transmission ratio TR, respectively.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The method for target engine speed control in accordance with the present disclosure utilizes the speed of the engine 18, either directly or indirectly via the actual transmission ratio TR, to maintain the engine output speed EOS approximately equal to the target engine speed TES determined based on engine output commands from an operator. Previous control strategies utilize the transmission output speed TOS or the transmission output torque to control cause the machine 10 to respond to the operator's desired machine output. Such control strategies provide good resolution on the output torque or the machine speed in comparison to the operator commands. However, the engine speed fluctuates to accommodate changing driveline efficiencies in the power train. In some situations, high fluctuations in engine speeds can cause greater wear in the engine 18 over time. In some implementations, maintaining the engine 18 at as constant an engine speed as possible for durability and to prolong the life of the engine 18 may be a higher priority machine requirement than precise control of the speed or torque at the output of the CVT 20. The control strategy in accordance with the present disclosure provides good resolution on the engine speed while allowing the transmission output speed TOS and the output torque to fluctuate to accommodate the changing driveline efficiencies in the power train. Moreover, using the processing described above when a proportional power output governor is implemented at the ECM 26, any changes made to engine throttle displacement versus desired percentage of peak power mapping are automatically accounted for in the target engine speed mapping, and a predetermined relationship between the desired percentage of peak power and the target engine speed TES will remain unchanged. Such a relationship may be created to drive the engine 18 to the optimized fuel efficiency operating point for a desired percentage of peak power input by the operator.

While the preceding text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of protection is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the scope of protection.

It should also be understood that, unless a term was expressly defined herein, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to herein in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A machine for operating at a work site and traveling over a work surface of the work site, the machine comprising: an engine; a traction device; a continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connected between the engine and the traction device to transfer power output by the engine to the traction device; an operator input device in an operator station of the machine for detecting engine output commands that are input by an operator of the machine and outputting engine output command signals corresponding to the engine output commands input by the operator at the operator input device; an engine speed sensor automatically monitoring an engine output speed of the engine and outputting engine speed sensor signals corresponding to the engine output speed of the engine; and an electronic control module (ECM) operatively connected to the engine, the CVT, the operator input device and the engine speed sensor, wherein the ECM is programmed to: receive the engine output command signals from the operator input device, determine a desired percentage of a peak power of the engine based on the engine output command signals, determine a transmission control target engine speed based on the desired percentage of the peak power, determine a transmission ratio for the CVT based on the transmission control target engine speed to cause the engine to operate at the transmission control target engine speed, transmit transmission command signals to the CVT to control the CVT so that a transmission output speed divided by a transmission input speed is equal to the transmission ratio determined based on the transmission control target engine speed.
 2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the CVT comprises a CVT actuator operatively connected to the ECM, wherein the CVT actuator receives the transmission command signals and causes the CVT to be set to the transmission ratio determined by the ECM.
 3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the ECM is programmed to: receive the engine speed sensor signals from the engine speed sensor and compare the engine output speed from the engine speed sensor signals to the transmission control target engine speed, and calculate a revised transmission ratio that will cause the engine output speed to be approximately equal to the transmission control target engine speed and transmit revised transmission command signals to the CVT to control the CVT to the revised transmission ratio in response to determining that the engine output speed is not equal to the transmission control target engine speed.
 4. The machine of claim 3, wherein the ECM is programmed to calculate the revised transmission ratio to be less than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the engine output speed is less than the transmission control target engine speed.
 5. The machine of claim 3, wherein the ECM is programmed to calculate the revised transmission ratio to be greater than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the engine output speed is greater than the transmission control target engine speed.
 6. The machine of claim 3, comprising a transmission speed sensor operatively connected to the CVT and the ECM and automatically monitoring the transmission output speed of the CVT and outputting transmission speed sensor signals corresponding to the transmission output speed of the CVT, wherein the ECM is programmed to calculate a desired transmission ratio that is equal to the transmission output speed divided by the transmission control target engine speed, and calculate an actual transmission ratio that is equal to the transmission output speed divided by the engine output speed.
 7. The machine of claim 6, wherein the ECM is programmed to calculate the revised transmission ratio to be less than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the actual transmission ratio is greater than the desired transmission ratio.
 8. The machine of claim 6, wherein the ECM is programmed to calculate the revised transmission ratio to be less than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the actual transmission ratio is greater than the desired transmission ratio by more than a predetermined minimum transmission ratio error.
 9. The machine of claim 6, wherein the ECM is programmed to calculate the revised transmission ratio to be greater than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the actual transmission ratio is less than the desired transmission ratio.
 10. The machine of claim 6, wherein the ECM is programmed to calculate the revised transmission ratio to be greater than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the actual transmission ratio is less than the desired transmission ratio by more than a predetermined minimum transmission ratio error.
 11. A method for controlling an engine output speed of an engine of a machine to be approximately equal to a target engine speed, wherein the machine includes a traction device and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connected between the engine and the traction device to transfer power output by the engine to the traction device to propel the machine over a work surface of a work site, the method comprising: receiving engine output command signals from an operator of the machine indicating a machine function commanded by the operator; determining a desired percentage of a peak power of the engine based on the engine output command signals; determining a transmission control target engine speed based on the desired percentage of the peak power; determining a transmission ratio for the CVT based on the transmission control target engine speed to cause the engine to operate at the target engine speed; and transmitting transmission command signals to the CVT to control the CVT so that a transmission output speed divided by a transmission input speed is equal to the transmission ratio determined based on the transmission control target engine speed.
 12. The method of claim 11, comprising: comparing the engine output speed of the engine to the transmission control target engine speed; and calculating a revised transmission ratio that will cause the engine output speed to be approximately equal to the transmission control target engine speed and transmitting revised transmission command signals to the CVT to control the CVT to the revised transmission ratio in response to determining that the engine output speed is not equal to the transmission control target engine speed.
 13. The method of claim 12, comprising calculating the revised transmission ratio to be less than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the engine output speed is less than the transmission control target engine speed; and calculating the revised transmission ratio to be greater than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the engine output speed is greater than the transmission control target engine speed.
 14. The method of claim 12, comprising calculating the revised transmission ratio to be less than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the engine output speed is less than the transmission control target engine speed by more than a predetermined minimum engine speed error.
 15. The method of claim 12, comprising calculating the revised transmission ratio to be greater than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the engine output speed is greater than the transmission control target engine speed by more than a predetermined minimum engine speed error.
 16. The method of claim 12, comprising: calculating a desired transmission ratio that is equal to the transmission output speed divided by the transmission control target engine speed; and calculating an actual transmission ratio that is equal to the transmission output speed divided by the engine output speed.
 17. The method of claim 16, comprising calculating the revised transmission ratio to be less than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the actual transmission ratio is greater than the desired transmission ratio.
 18. The method of claim 16, comprising calculating the revised transmission ratio to be less than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the actual transmission ratio is greater than the desired transmission ratio by more than a predetermined minimum transmission ratio error.
 19. The method of claim 16, comprising calculating the revised transmission ratio to be greater than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the actual transmission ratio is less than the desired transmission ratio.
 20. The method of claim 16, comprising calculating the revised transmission ratio to be greater than the transmission ratio in response to determining that the actual transmission ratio is less than the desired transmission ratio by more than a predetermined minimum transmission ratio error. 